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Explain how the slogan ‘the personal is political' addresses the issue of women's oppression and discrimination?

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CSE 2025 (Prelims) CSAT Official Paper (25-May-2025)

The feminist slogan “the personal is political” emerged during the women’s liberation movements of the 1960s–70s, highlighting that issues traditionally seen as private are deeply political.

It challenges the public-private divide that relegated women’s experiences—family roles, sexuality, domestic labor—to the private sphere, excluding them from political scrutiny. Feminists argued that domestic violence, unequal household responsibilities, or reproductive rights are not merely personal matters but products of patriarchal power structures. Thus, oppression in the personal sphere reinforces inequality in the political and economic spheres.

By politicizing personal experiences, the slogan exposed how discrimination operates through everyday practices. For example, unpaid household labor supports capitalist economies, while restrictive norms curtail women’s autonomy. This perspective reshaped political theory, forcing recognition of gender as a central axis of power.

Today, the slogan continues to resonate in debates on workplace harassment, marital rights, and bodily autonomy. It reaffirms that true democracy must dismantle oppression at both public and private levels.

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